Railway traffic controlling apparatus



July 25, 1933'. L, E. S RAY 1,919,810

RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 3, 1930 INVENTORI L E, 5 7

Patented July 25, 1933 STATES T NTQFFICE" 1 LESTER E. srnAY, or wrt rrnsnune,rENitsYLVANIA, .Assrenoa TO THE union SWITCH a SIGNAL GOMBANY, or swrssvnnn, rEmvs LvA-nm, aconronnrion or PENNSYLVANIA RAILWAY TRAFFIC con'rnonnme ArrAnATUs Applicationfiled January 3, 1930. Serial No. 418,218.

apparatus for manually controlling a rail way signal. p

ne feature of my invention is the promsion of means controlled by a signal and by traflicconditions for releasing the approach locking of a .control lever for the signal after the lapse of a measured period of time. I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagram-- matic view illustrating one form of apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference characters 1 and 1? designate the track rails of a stretch of railway track which is provided with a switchF. This stretch of track is divided by insulated joints 2 into sections A-B and '13-.(11 Section A'B will be referred to hereinafter as an approach section, and section B- -C, in which switch F is located, will be referred toas a detector section. Each of these sections is' with a track circuit which includes a battery 3 connected across, the railsadjacent one end of the section, and a relay designated by the reference character 13. with a distinguishing exponent and connected across the rails adjacent the opposite end of the section.

provided A. signal designated bythe reference char-.

acter S governs-eastbound traffic... that is, traffic movlng toward the right as shown in the drawing, and s1gnalsS and S govern westbound traffic. Signal S operates a con tact 5 which is closed when and only when signal S indicates-stop. As here. shown, signals S are of the semaphore type, although my invention is not limited to this form.

Signals S are controlled by a manually operable lever V of an interlocking machine.

- Another manually operable lever in the same machine. not shown in thedra-w-ing, controls switch F. Lever V has a normal position a, a control position to the left at, and a control position to the right 1", as well as an indication position to the left 2'), and anindication position 'to'the right d. Lever V and the lever which controls switch Fare so interlocked mechanically that the lever for switch F can not be moved to cause the operation of switch unless lever V is in its a position. Approach locking of switch F is therefore.accomplished by providing approach locking for leversV so that'lever' .V can not be returned to' its a position.

- The return of lever V to its a position is controlled by an electric lever lock designated by the reference character L. Lock L comprises a control winding 23, a segment 22, anda locking dog, 20 which is controlled bywinding 23. Segment 22 is provided with a lug 21. When lever V is moved to when lever V reaches its indication position ,7

(Z, thus preventing the completion of the return of lever Vto itsn position. If, now, winding 23'becomes energized, dog 20 will be lifted out-of engagementrwith lug 21 and willso permitthe'movement oflever V to be continued to the a position;

Lever V operates a contact 4: which is closed when lever V occupies its? position" only, a contact 15 which is closed when lever V occupies itsj r or its d or any intermediate position, and a contact 17 which is closed when lever V occupies fits (Z position only.

Atime element deviceH, here shown as a thermal relay,jbut which may be of any othersuitable type, is controlled by contact 5 of signal S and by a back contact of relay B? when lever V is moved to its d posi tion; Relay H, as here shown, comprises a control element 19 and a contact 12 which becomes closed'when and only when control element 19 has'been energized for a meas-' ured period of time. v e

As shown'in the drawing, all parts are in their normal condition, that is, sections AB and 13-0 are unoccupied, lever Vis in its a position, and signals S are indicat ingstop.

I-will now assume sires to clear signal S for an eastbound that the leverman' de- I train to move over switch F in'its normal 1 position as shown in the drawing. He

therefore moves lever V to its '1' position,

. the mechanism of signal S to terminal .0 of

the same source of current. The arm of completinga circut passing from terminalm proceed tar as its indication position cl. When lever V has left its 7 osition the circuit for P signal S as already traced, 1s opened at contact 4: of lever V. The arm of signal S- t-henreturns to its stop position, completing at its contact 5 a circuit forwinding 23 of lock L passing from terminal 00, through contact 5 of signal S contact 6 of relay R wires 7 and 14L, contact 15 of lever V, and winding 23 of lock L to terminal 0. \Vinding 23, being thus energized, lifts dog 20 out of engagementwith lug 21, and the leverman will then complete the movement oflever V to its aposition.

I will next assume that, with all parts again in their normal condition, the leverman again clears signal S by moving lever .V to its r position as previously described. I will also assume that an eastbound train moves through section A-B and enters section BC. y v p In order to return lever V to its a position while the trainis in section BO, the

leverman will move lever V as far as its d position, causing the arm of signal S to be returned to the stop position. A second circuit is then completed for winding 23 of lock L passing from terminal on, through contact 5 of signal S wires 8 and 9, con tact 10 of. relay R wire 14, contact 15 of lever. V, and winding 23 0f lock L to terminal 0. Winding 23 being thus energized, dog 20 is lifted out of engagement with lug 21, and. the leverman then completes the movement of lever V'to its a position.

I will now assume that, with allparts again in their normal condition, the leverman again clears signal S by moving lever V to its 1" position. I willalso assume that a train then enters section AB, and that the leverman then desires to change the position of switch F. He therefore starts the return of lever V to its a position by moving lever V to its cl position, at which further movement of lever V is checked by engagement of dog 20 with lug 21. The arm of signal S moves to its stop position,

completing a circuit for control element 19 of thermal relay. H passing from terminal at, through contact 5 of signal S wires 8, 9 and 16, contact 17 of lever V, contact 18 of relay R and control element 19 of relay II to terminal 0. After the lapse of a meas ured period of time, contact 12 of relay I-l closes, completing a third circuit for winding Q8 oi? lock L passing from terminal a, through Contact-5 of signal S wires 8 and 11, contact 12 of relay H, Wires 13 and 14:,

contact 15 of lever V, and winding 23 of lock L to terminal 0. Winding 23 now lifts dog 20 out of engagement with lug 21, and the leverman then continues the movement of lever V to its nposition.

Lever V, when moved to its 777. position, controls signal S or signal S according as switch F is in its no "mal or its reverse positionQ Lock L is controlled by signals S and S similarly to the manner in which it is controlled by signal S as already described. The circuits by which look L is controlled by signals S? ant are, therefore, omitted from the drawing.

-From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing, it is clear that with apparatus embodying my invention, when lever V is in its r position and an eastbound train is in approach section A.B but section BC is unoccupied, if the leverman desires to change the position of switch. 5, he will move lever V to its (Z position, and then, after the lapse of a measured period of time, winding 23 of lock Iii-.will become energized through contact 12 of time element device H, thus permitting the final movementor". lever V to its a position without any further manual releasing operation.

Although I have herein shown and described only oneforrn of railway traiiic controlling apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various cl and modifications may be made therein within the scope of-the appended claims without departing from the spiri and scope of my invention. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: V

1. In combination, a mamially operable lever, a railway traflic governing device controlled by said manually operable levcr, and means controlled said trafi'ic governing device for preventing operation of said man ually operable lever for a measured period of time after response of the device to an operation of the lever.

2. In combination, a manually operable lever, a railway trafiic governing device controlled by said inanually operable lever, a time element device controlled by said traffic' governing device and et into operation when said device completes a movement'in response to an operation of said lever, and means controlled by said time ele sent device for controlling said manually operable lever.

3. In combination, a manually operable lever, a railway trallic .Q'overning'device controlled by said, manually operable lever, means controlled by said trailic governing device for preventing operation of said manually operable lever, and means controlled by traffic conditions for permitting such operation of said manually operable lever after the lapse of a measured period of time.

a. In combination, a manually operable lever, a railway trailic governing device controlled by said manually operable lever,

means controlled by trai'fic conditions for preventing operation of said manually operable lever, and means controlled by said traiiic governing device for permitting such operation of said manually operable lever after the lapse of a measured period of time.

In combination, a manually operable lever having railway signal, means controlled by said lever when in said second position for causing said signal to indicate proceed, and means controlled by said signal for at times preventing movement of said lever from said second to said first position for a measured period of time. I

6. In combination, a manually operable lever having a first and a second position, a railway signal, means controlled by said lever when in said second position for causing said signal to indicate proceed, an electric loclr which when deenergizedvprevents movement of said leverfrom said second to said first position, and means controlled by said" signal for energizing said lock after the lapse of a measured period of time. i

7. In combination, a stretch of railway track, a signal for said stretch, anapproach track section for said signal, atrack circuit for said section including a trackrelay, a manually operable lever having a normal and a reverse and an indication position, means controlled by said lever when in said reverse position for causing said signal to indicate proceed, a lever lock which permits movement 01" said lever from its reverse to its indication position but which when deenergized prevents movement of said lever past said indication position toward said normal position, a time element device controlled by a back contact of'said track relay,

and means controlled by said time element device forenergizingsaid lever lock when said. time element device has been energized a measured period of time. 1

8. In combination, a railway signal, a manually operable lever having a normal and a reverse position, means controlled by said lever when in said reverse position for causing said signal to indicate proceed, a

lever lock which when de-energized prevents movement of said lever from said reverse to said normal position, a time element device controlled by said signal, and means controlled by said time element device for energizing said lever lock upon the lapse of a measured period of time after the arm' of said signal has been restored to the normal position.

9. In combination, a stretch of railway track, a signal "for said stretch, a contact controlled by said signal and which is a first and a second position, a

closed when and only when saidsignal indicates stop, an approach track section for said signal, a track circuit for said section including a track relay, a manually operable lever having a normaland a reverse position, means controlled by said lever when in its said reverse position for causing said signal to indicate proceed, a'lever lock Whicl when de-energized prevents movement of said lever to its said normal position, a circuit for said lever lock including said signalcontrolled contact and a front contact of said'track relay as well as a source of current and'said lever lock in series, a time element device, a controlcircuit for said time element device including said signal-controlled contact and a back contact of said track relay as well as a source of current and said time element device in-series, and

means controlled by said time element device for completing a branch path around said relay contact in said lever lock circuit when said time element device has been energized a measured period of time.

1-0. In combination, a main section and an approach section of railway track, a manually operable lever having a first and a second position, a signal for governing traffic through said'main section and arranged to indicate proceed; when said leveroccupies said second position, and means operat ing when said approach section is occupied for limiting the'motion of said lever for a measured interval of 'tiine after said lever is moved toward said first position from said second position.

11. In combination, a main 'sectionand second position, a signal for governing traf-' 9 fic through said main section and arranged H to indicate proceed when said lever occupies said second position, time measuring means set into operation when said lever is moved from said second position toward said first position while said' approach section is occupied, and means'controlled by said time me'asuringmeans for at times limiting the movement of said lever.

12. In combination, a main section and an approach section of railway track, a manuallyv operable lever having a first and a second position, a signal for governing traffic through said main section and arranged to indicate Fp-roceed when said lever occupies said second position, means actuated when said lever is moved irom said second position toward said first position While said approach section is occupied and requiring a measured interval of time to complete its operation, and means for limiting movement LESTER n. SPRAY. 

